35th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning bodyAAA
DateMay 30, 1951
WinnerLee Wallard
Winning EntrantMurrell Belanger
Average speed126.244 mph (203.170 km/h)
Pole positionDuke Nalon
Pole speed136.498 mph (219.672 km/h)
Most laps ledLee Wallard (159)
Pre-race
Pace carChrysler New Yorker
Pace car driverDavid A. Wallace
StarterSeth Klein[1]
Honorary refereeClarence Beesmyer[1]
Estimated attendance150,000[2]
Chronology
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1950 1952

The 35th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 30, 1951. The event was part of the 1951 AAA National Championship Trail, and was also race 2 of 8 in the 1951 World Championship of Drivers. For the second year in a row, no European Formula One-based teams entered the race.

Duke Nalon, who had suffered serious burns in a crash in 1949, and who missed the 1950 race, made a comeback at Indy by winning the pole position in a Novi.

Heavy attrition saw only eight cars running at the finish. Winner Lee Wallard's car lost its brakes, suffered a damaged exhaust pipe, and broke a shock absorber mounting.[3][4] In addition to the unbearably uncomfortable ride, Wallard had worn a fire retardant outfit, created by dipping his uniform in a mixture of borax crystals and water. Due to not wearing an undershirt, Wallard suffered serious chafing, and required treatment at the infield hospital after the victory lane celebration.[4] It was estimated he lost 15 pounds during the race.[4]

Wallard's winning car had the smallest displacement in the field. About a week after winning the race, Wallard suffered severe burns in a crash at Reading, which effectively ended his professional racing career.

Three-time winner Mauri Rose, in his 15th Indy start, crashed and flipped on lap 126. It was his final 500, as he retired from driving after the crash.

Time trials

Time trials were scheduled for six days. Rain, however, pushed qualifying into a seventh day.

  • Saturday May 12 – Pole Day time trials
  • Sunday May 13 – Second day time trials
  • Saturday May 19 – Third day time trials
  • Sunday May 20 – Fourth day time trials
  • Saturday May 26 – Fifth day time trials
  • Sunday May 27 – Sixth day time trials (rained out)
  • Monday May 28 – Seventh day time trials (rain makeup day)

Box score

Pos Grid No Driver Constructor Qual Rank Laps Led Time/Retired Points
1 2 99 United States Lee Wallard Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 135.03 5 200 159 3:57:38.05 91
2 7 83 United States Mike Nazaruk  R  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 132.18 26 200 0 + 1:47.24 6
3 3 9 United States Jack McGrath(Laps 1–100)
United States Manny Ayulo(Laps 101–200)		 Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 134.30 8 200 11 + 2:51.39 2
2
4 31 57 United States Andy Linden  R  Sherman-Offenhauser 132.22 25 200 0 + 4:40.12 3
5 29 52 United States Bobby Ball  R  Schroeder-Offenhauser 134.09 9 200 0 + 4:52.23 2
6 17 1 United States Henry Banks Moore-Offenhauser 133.89 12 200 0 + 5:40.02  
7 24 68 United States Carl Forberg  R  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 132.89 22 193 0 + 7 Laps  
8 4 27 United States Duane Carter Deidt-Offenhauser 133.74 15 180 0 + 20 Laps  
9 9 5 United States Tony Bettenhausen Deidt-Offenhauser 131.95 29 178 0 Spun Off  
10 1 18 United States Duke Nalon Kurtis Kraft-Novi 136.49 2 151 0 Retirement  
11 22 69 United States Gene Force  R  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 133.10 20 142 0 Engine  
12 12 25 United States Sam Hanks Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 132.99 21 135 0 Engine  
13 16 10 United States Bill Schindler Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 134.03 11 129 0 Engine  
14 5 16 United States Mauri Rose  W  Deidt-Offenhauser 133.42 18 126 0 Accident  
15 14 2 United States Walt Faulkner Kuzma-Offenhauser 136.87 1 123 0 Engine  
16 27 76 United States Jimmy Davies Pawl-Offenhauser 133.51 17 110 25 Axle  
17 11 59 United States Fred Agabashian Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 135.02 6 109 0 Clutch  
18 15 73 United States Carl Scarborough  R  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 135.61 4 93 0 Fire  
19 33 71 United States Bill Mackey  R  Stevens-Offenhauser 131.47 32 97 0 Clutch  
20 19 8 United States Chuck Stevenson  R  Marchese-Offenhauser 133.76 14 93 0 Fire  
21 8 3 United States Johnnie Parsons  W  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 132.15 27 87 0 Magneto  
22 10 4 United States Cecil Green Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 131.89 31 80 5 Engine  
23 6 98 United States Troy Ruttman Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 132.31 24 78 0 Engine  
24 32 6 United States Duke Dinsmore Schroeder-Offenhauser 131.97 28 73 0 Overheating  
25 28 32 United States Chet Miller Kurtis Kraft-Novi 135.79 3 56 0 Ignition  
26 13 44 United States Walt Brown Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 131.90 30 55 0 Magneto  
27 25 48 United States Rodger Ward  R  Bromme-Offenhauser 134.86 7 34 0 Oil Pipe  
28 18 23 United States Cliff Griffith  R  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 133.83 13 30 0 Axle  
29 20 81 United States Bill Vukovich  R  Trevis-Offenhauser 133.72 16 29 0 Oil leak  
30 21 22 United States George Connor Lesovsky-Offenhauser 133.35 19 29 0 Transmission  
31 23 19 United States Mack Hellings Deidt-Offenhauser 132.92 33 18 0 Engine  
32 26 12 United States Johnny McDowell Maserati-Offenhauser 132.47 23 15 0 Fuel leak  
33 30 26 United States Joe James  R  Watson-Offenhauser 134.09 10 8 0 Transmission  
Source:[5]
Notes
  • ^1 – Includes 1 point for fastest lead lap

Alternates

Failed to Qualify

Notes

  • Pole position: Duke Nalon – 4:23.74 (136.498 mph)
  • Fastest Lead Lap: Lee Wallard – 1:07.26 (133.809 mph)[9]
  • Ayulo (100 laps) and McGrath (100) shared the same car. Points for 3rd position were shared between the drivers.
  • Roger Penske stated in a live interview on RTV6 in Indianapolis on November 4, 2019, when the Penske Corporation was announcing the purchased of all the IMS assets, that 1951 was the first race he attended at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Championship standings after the race

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1951 Indianapolis 500.
World Drivers' Championship standings
Pos Driver Points
1 Argentina Juan Manuel Fangio 9
20 2 United States Lee Wallard 9
1 3 Italy Piero Taruffi 6
18 4 United States Mike Nazaruk 6
2 5 Italy Nino Farina 4
Source: [10]
  • Note: Only the top five positions are listed. Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship.

Broadcasting

Radio

The race was carried live on the radio through a network arrangement set up by 1070 WIBC-AM of Indianapolis. Mutual, which had carried the race for several years, had raised its advertising rates for 1951, and lost its primary sponsor for the event, Perfect Circle Piston Rings. As a result, Mutual dropped the coverage altogether. Local station WIBC stepped in to cover the race, and provided its feed to various Mutual affiliates.[11] A total of 26 stations carried the broadcast.

WIBC personality Sid Collins served as the chief announcer in the booth, and the remainder of the crew consisted mostly of WIBC talent. Jim Shelton reported from his familiar turn four location, and Bill Fox was also in the booth. Easy Gwynn was also to be part of the crew. Collins interviewed the winner in victory lane, leaving Fox to call the actual finish of the race. Like the Mutual broadcasts, WIBC featured live coverage of the start (30 minutes), the finish (30 minutes), and 15-minute live updates throughout the race. The on-air crew was smaller than normal. There were not turn and pit reporters stationed around the entire track, instead recorded interviews were played back during later broadcast segments.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.
  2. ↑ Stranahan, Bob (May 31, 1951). "Pilot's Hoosier's Car To Victory; Nazaruk Second". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  3. ↑ Van Camp's Pork & Beans Presents: Great Moments From the Indy 500 – Fleetwood Sounds, 1975
  4. 1 2 3 The Talk of Gasoline Alley – 1070-AM WIBC/Network Indiana, May 17, 2007
  5. ↑ "1951 Indianapolis 500". formula1.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  6. ↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley – 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004
  7. ↑ "Jean ACHARD". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  8. ↑ "1951 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes". ChampCarStats.com.
  9. ↑ Lang, Mike (1981). Grand Prix! Vol 1. Haynes Publishing Group. p. 29. ISBN 0-85429-276-4.
  10. ↑ "Indianapolis 1951 - Championship". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  11. ↑ Davidson, Donald (May 24, 2012). "IMS Radio Network celebrates 60th anniversary". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  12. ↑ Hynes, Beatrice (May 30, 1951). "Mike-Row-Scopes". The Indianapolis Star. p. 36. Retrieved August 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
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